The “N” Word on Google Maps

As a journalist, people are always trying to get your attention. A perennial candidate wants an interview everytime they run for everything from Congressman to dogcatcher. A citizen wants to tell you about how a conspiracy by the DMV is keeping him and only him from getting his license.

There are lots of stories that don’t make the news director’s radar and not for the lack of trying by the people pitching them. But other stories are so over the top true that you assume everybody must know about them. Sort of like when you see a flipped over car on fire on the freeway; surely somebody has called 911. So you don’t need to, right?

Somebody sent me an email with a link to a story that reported that Google Maps is currently having a naming problem with the residence of the President. Specifically, if you type the “N” word (ending with “a” instead of “er”), the White House and the area surrounding it in Washington, D.C. appear. This was as of 8 p.m. PST on May 19th.

What kind of story would this be to tell? News? Public information? For some, it certainly seems to be entertainment. How much attention should something like this get? How did it happen? What is being done to fix it? And who are the proud, God-sent, shining examples of humanity who did it?

It would be nice if somebody told me this is just some unfortunate mistake. That this isn’t really from the company that pledges to “Do No Evil” even if they do sell out protestors in authoritarian regimes. That it’s some kind of terrible joke. TMZ says its no joke.

Burning car, flipped, in the middle of the freeway.

Has anybody called or are there just too many of them for people to bother?